Saturday Morning Workout, Herb Salad From The Garden

I think my early morning spin class yesterday gave me my mojo back so today I decided I'd put in a good two hours at the gym, first tackling yet another cycle session and then Pilates.  It feels pretty amazing to get back into the swing of things, and just in time for my girl's trip to Vegas!

Before hitting the gym, I ate two pieces of Ezekiel sesame toast with one tablespoon peanut butter and honey.

This is usually a good combo for me to start with but after two hours of intense activity I was starving.  We have absolutely nothing in our house to eat right now since we are actually house sitting for friends but, and this is exciting for me at least, my garden is starting to grow!  I cut fresh herbs, micro greens, and lettuce for a salad and opened a can of Oregon's Choice Hardwood Smoke Albacore.

Most of you know by now that a green thumb, I do not have.  Thankfully, herbs and lettuce are a breeze which made my salad both tasty and rewarding.

From the garden:

• Dill
• Fennel
• Chives
• Micro greens
• Lettuce
• Cucumber from Stephanie's garden

I also had a handful of Doctor Cracker Hummus Maximus Culinary Crisps.  This is my new favorite cracker which comes in a range of flavor combinations.

In addition to Hummus Maximus, the Culinary Crisps come in flavors such as:

• Apple Crisps
• Cherry Semolina
• Fire Roasted Crisps
• Hummus Maximus
• Klassic 3 Seed
• Pumpkin Cheddar
• Seeded Spelt
• Seedlander

I'm a pretty on the go girl and travel is on of my deep, great loves.  Packing however is something I can do without.  It always seems to take me way longer than it should complicated I'm sure by the fact that I have to preview each potential outfit before it gets folded into my suitcase.  I also have a tendency to take more than I'll need, which means more outfits to approve than are necessary.

All that work packing, and contemplating what to bring with me to Las Vegas, worked my appetite back up again.  So, I took a tiny break to munch on more Doctor Cracker Culinary Crisps, Almonds (super food!!), Baby Bell Light, and an Orange.

Michael treated me tonight to dinner at my favorite San Diego sushi hot spot Tabu, where he and our friend Todd went straight for both the Afterburner and Rancho Roll.  My camera took a nose dive on me before I could snap a photo of my roll, which if you remember, is always the selection of the chef.  I always ask them to make me a roll without rice.  Other than that, I let them pick the ingredients and am never unhappy with that choice.

Tabu Sushi
2986 Jamacha Road
El Cajon, CA 92019-4337
(619) 670-8228


I'm off to finish packing and get ready for a fun remainder of the weekend in Las Vegas.  I can't wait for:

• Weekend with the Girls
• Mani / Pedi's
• Performance of LOVE
• Dinner at Bartolottas
• Sun, sun, sun!

And The Passport To Prana Winner Is!

Congratulations to Teresa, this week's winner of Win It Wednesday and the Passport to Prana!  Here's Teresa's response to this week's question of kindness.

My act of kindness for the week is small yet we all love when it happens to us.  I let a women into traffic form a mall exit. Jammed with cars and everyone acting like they just don't see her. I felt her pain and stopped for all of 2 seconds.  Hardly much effort on my part but I'm sure I made her day.  Hope for the human race.

Third Times A Charm

I have not had my usual energy the last couple of days since returning from New York and though I've had the best of intentions I've struggled to get out of my nice, cozy bed at 5:00 a.m. to make it to Spin Class.  I've set the alarm, had coffee ready to brew, but when the alarm has gone off, I've managed to justify why I deserved the extra sleep rather than the exercise.  Michael knows how to motivate me though and threw down the gauntlet, betting me I'd let a third morning go by without getting back into my routine.

Ahhh, a challenge.  So, third time was a charm.  I won't say that I exactly sprang out of bed this morning but I did manage to get up without hitting snooze, grab a thermos of hot coffee and a quick breakfast of Ezekiel Sprouted Grain Cereal, 1/2 cup of nonfat milk, handful of blueberries, and a tablespoon of peanut butter. 

 

And, if you remember, I'm making my way through SuperFoods Rx, and this morning's pre-workout breakfast hit the mark with both the blueberries and the whole grain cereal.

I made it into the gym and completed the class and left feeling very accomplished and thankful to have my workout done for the day.  I was starving though and pretty grateful I had grabbed a Greens + Protein Bar to eat on my way to work after the class.  I only eat bars like this on big workout days as the calorie content can be high for an everyday meal replacement.

Riviera Supper Club

Tonight we headed to a neighborhood Supper Club with our friend Todd for a little steak and seafood.  I love the vibe of the Riviera, the attraction for me is far more about the people watching and throw back cocktails than the food however.  If you are looking to get great value on a Harvey Wallbanger, this place is for you.

(source)

The community grill is a fun way to meet other diners and watch as the guys debate the proper way to grill a steak.  I have to brag a bit here because Michael actually did a perfect job.

For sides, we modified the wedge (yes, everything on the side), and the guys splurged on massive baked potatoes, macaroni and cheese, and a side of sauteed green beans.

I had the seared Ahi and dabbled a bit in the boy's side dishes.

The Ahi was okay, nothing over the top amazing, but then again, I was the chef.  Michael and Todd raved about their steaks, which seems to be a smarter choice.  The Riviera is an uber swank spot for fun atmosphere, great cocktails and Fred Flintstone sized portions.

Riviera Supper Club and Turquoise Room
7777 University Avenue
La Mesa, CA 91941
619-713-6777

Chef Art Smith, The Barefoot Contessa, Chef Rick Bayless

The Fancy Food Show is a monolith of chocolates, cheeses, crackers, candies, popcorn and more pouring out from row upon gourmet filled row.  With only one day to make my way through the tradeshow and more products than I could possibly see, I had to be really strategic in my planning, heading for exhibits that would be a fit for The Gourmet Experience, Editor Showcase, and of course fun, new products that hit home with my Fitness & The Foodie philosophy.  Get ready for a mega product review coming over the next few weeks!

We were asked not to take pictures of booths or products so I did my best to honor that.  I couldn't help though snapping photos with the star chefs I met along the way.  I have to say, Chef Art Smith was charming and took a lot of time to talk to me about the events we produce, our shared passion for health and wellness, and new lives after having lost nearly 100 lbs.